Capitol Theatre
43 Bank Street,
New London,
CT
06320
43 Bank Street,
New London,
CT
06320
8 people
favorited this theater
The Capitol Theatre has long been abandoned.
The theater lobby can still be seen through the glass doors and still has the ticket booth intact.
Since it has not been used since the cinema closed many years ago, the auditorium may still be intact.
Contributed by
Roger Katz
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Recent comments (view all 29 comments)
I can’t wait to see this one when it reopens!
I look forward to seeing it as well.
But the developer has already missed a number of deadlines promised in negotiations and agreements with the cityfor the $2.5M renoavation. Missed dates include start demolition of the interior, remediation of the asbestos within 30 days of transfer, and the purchase of the windows mentioned above by Evan. It was sold for $1 plus tax abatements. See <<http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=146bb48a-3d39-40b7-aaa1-b5acf0fa9814>> for more details. The article includes a picture of its very ornate boxes, walls, and ceilings.
Shalom, ciao, and excelsior
Some 30 odd years ago I toured the interior of the Ca[ital with the dream of creating what the Garde has become. It would have made a better choice of venue. However even then the restoratiom costs would have been signifacantly more then the Garde.
When I toured the building there was significant water damage from a leaky roof. Plaster damage on one wall was evident.
All the deats on the main level would need to be replaced, but the balcony was in great shape. The balcony had not been in use for years before the place closed. The “private” boxes on the balcony level had no seats.
The projection booth still had its equipment. There were even spools of adult films there. The lobby concession still had popcorn in them.
The decor of the building outshines the Garde. In its day it was a jewel among theaters. Restoration today would run in the millions. Heatin, ac plumbing, electric service, sound, lighting, new seating God knows what else would make it almost impossible. I hope I’m wrong I would love to see it restored. Maybe someone could convince the Pequots that it would be a good idea.
Beautiful facade.
A Marr & Colton theater organ size 2/8 was installed in the Capitol Theater in 1926.
That organ, now in the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, is the only one remaining in a theatre with a Symphonic Registrator (40 combinations labelled by the mood they are intended to accompany in a silent movie, such as Love, Mysterious, Children, etc. It works wonderfully when accompanying a picture.
That organ is now unplayable, but the new theatre owner is interested in having it restored.
Article in today’s paper View link
Growing up in the area, I attended the Capitol to see movies as a youth. My first recollection was Its A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. I remember entering the lobby, going up marble steps with brass railings. When Jimmy Durante crashed and kicked the bucket it scared my little brother who was 3 or 4 and he started crying. He wouldn’t stop and my mother (unlike anyone today) gathered us up and took us home. Social courtesy at one’s expense. Can you imagine? Another memory I have is going to see Mark of the Devil in the early ‘70s in my early teens. Ushers handed out vomit bags, which really worried me (I STILL have mine!) because I thought it would be horrible and I didnt want to throw up! Glad to say it went unused. I recall a few people running out during the movie. Grossing audiences out is now de rigueur, sorry to say. It wasnt too long after this the Capitol closed down.
I always go by the theater when Im back in New London. Bank St. and State St. are loaded with history. Many theaters have been there the last century and more.
The 2002 article about the Capitol Theatre published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to which I linked a few years ago, has been relocated this link. It has two photos, neither of which can be enlarged, unfortunately.
Dismal news about the Capitol appeared in this newspaper article published on January 26, 2011. The company which bought the theater from the City of New London for one dollar in 2006 not only failed to carry out the promised renovations, but has lost the building due to non-payment of taxes. The Capitol has been sold at auction to a New York City developer whose intentions are unknown.
This 2010 article in The Day gave the name of the architect of the Capitol Theatre as W. H. Lowe. I’ve been unable to find anything about Connecticut architects named either W. H. Lowe or W. H. Lane on the Internet, but I suspect that the author of the article got the name right.